Page 32 of For Eva

“We don’t know what we’re doing on this scale,” Danny said, the quaver in his voice tugging at my heart. It was clear his nerves had taken over, and he needed a pep talk. Stat.

“But youdoknow what you’re doing,” I said, putting on my game face. “You’ve been rehearsing your asses off for months. So, you’re gonna go play whatever-fucking-arena in whatever-fucking-city just like you play the Whisky or the Roxy or the Troubadour. And you’re gonna blow the whole fucking audience away because Counting Backward is the best goddamn band on the planet. We all know it, and the sooner you start playing to those crowds Black Widow Rising draws, the sooner everyone else will know it.”

Danny inhaled, his eyes and shoulders relaxing with his breath, and he nodded. I glanced at Keith, the thin, angry line of his lips curling into a faint smile.

Eric bobbed his head. “See, that’s what we’ve been trying to tell you, man. Listen to your chick.”

“Seriously, dude,” Will chimed in.

Danny bristled at their comments, so I quickly dismissed them. We’d come a long way, baby, and all that jazz, but I knew full well that two guys telling another his girlfriend was right and he was wrong still pushed all the wrong primal male buttons.

“All I’m saying is you know how to play,” I explained. “You guys just need someone to tell you where to be when and those sorts of things. And Keith will be there to do all that.”

“Well, I’ll be there when I can. I’ve got some prior commitments I’ve gotta deal with. Plus, Cherie’s, like, eleven months pregnant.” He paused and looked at his watch as if his wife could be giving birth on the floor of their house in Encino while he was dealing with a bunch of jackasses at a Mexican restaurant in Hollywood. “But you’re gonna have a tour manager and an entire crew of people who know the ropes. And I’m sending one of my best guys in my place.”

Eric jerked his head in Keith’s direction. “Wait, what? Our first real tour and you’re leaving us hanging? When the fuck were you gonna tell us this?”

“I didn’t mention it because it’s not a big deal,” Keith said. “And I’m not leaving you hanging. Like I said, I’m sending someone frommycompany, and I’ll fly out for shows when I can get away.”

Danny squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his forehead.

“Great, so now you’rebothgonna freak out about this?” Will threw back his beer, slammed the bottle on the table, and pushed his shoulder against Keith’s. We both stood to let him out of the booth. “I’m done with this stupid fucking conversation. Call me and let me know what time the bus pulls out. Because we’regoingon this fucking tour.”

We sat back down, and Keith grinned. “See, it’s as simple as that. You’re going on this fucking tour.”

Danny threw his hands up. “I mean, fuck, I know we’ve gotta go, but I—”

“Obviously, we’re going,” Eric interrupted. “But we don’t wantsomeone from your company. We want someone we know. Someone who knowsus.”

Keith nodded. “I’m sending Bryan. You guys met Bryan.”

“Bryan’s a dumbass.”

Keith shook his head and laughed. “Actually, Eric,you’rethe dumbass for not comprehending how fucking close I am to walking out of here right now.”

My stomach dropped as he polished off his drink and pushed it aside. The coolness in his voice signaled he wouldn’t consider this a rash decision, and that scared the hell out of me.

“I took you guys on because you’re good, okay?Reallygood. But I have all the work I need without you. I also have a severely moody wife at home right now, along with a toddler who still shits his pants, yet is somehow more fucking mature than anyof you. So, the last thing I need in my life is this extra fucking stress.”

I closed my eyes and tried to think of something—anything—I could say to keep the train from jumping the tracks.

Eric sucked in a deep breath, and I peeked out of one lid, praying he wasn’t going to derail it, with everything they’d all worked so hard for winding up a pile of smoking metal.

“Fine,” he said. “Bryan it is. But what if you send someone with him? Like an assistantwechoose?”

I allowed my other lid to open. I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but at least he was being semi-agreeable.

Keith sighed. “Eric, there are budgets, and I can’t just pay people to—”

“Come on, man. We don’t know Bryan, and he doesn’t know us. We need to be sure someone’s there who has our same vision…someone who gets us.” He lit a smoke and leaned back, extending his arm along the top of the booth. “And you can sit there and say you don’tneedus till you’re blue in the fucking face, but youwantus. I know you do, because we’re gonna make you a lot of fucking money.”

“I’m not paying for it.” Keith paused, wincing, as if whatever he was about to say was going to cause him an undue amount of pain. “But…Fuck. I’ll ask the label to do it.”

Eric flashed him a victorious grin. “Which they will. Because we’re gonna make them a lot of fucking money, too.” He turned to Danny. “You good with that?”

Danny nodded like he was psyching himself up. “Yeah, we’re doing this, man. We have to do this.”

“All right, problem solved. And Keith, you should probably go ahead and introduce Eva to Bryan.”

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